One Piece:Becoming the King of the World from the Rocks Era

"Indeed, the Infinite Pirates' numbers have grown significantly, considering our territories now hold a population of over two to nearly three hundred million," Shaki noted. Hearing Li Yuan's words, she realized he intended to wage war to weed out the weaker members of the Infinite Pirates and forge a more elite force through battle.

"Gather all the officers and crew, finalize all preparations, and get ready for war!" With Li Yuan's command, the massive machine that was the Infinite Pirates began to operate. Many battle-hungry officers and captains eagerly assembled their crews.

As a legendary pirate crew in the New World, many forces constantly monitored the Infinite Pirates' movements. With the entire crew mobilizing, numerous factions quickly became aware, heightening their alertness.

Especially among the major pirate crews and the Navy in the New World, there was a rush to uncover the Infinite Pirates' intentions.

The Infinite Pirates swiftly completed their mobilization, and a colossal fleet led by the Hades Underworld God set sail toward the forefront of the New World, comprising over seventy pirate ships.

Based on the fleet's direction, it was evident to all that the Infinite Pirates intended to target the Navy. Major pirate crews in the New World breathed a sigh of relief, content to watch the spectacle unfold. As long as the Infinite Pirates weren't targeting them, they had no intention of provoking the crew. After all, the Infinite Pirates' conflict was with the Navy, not with them. Ideally, the Infinite Pirates and the Navy would annihilate each other, which would be the best outcome for these observers.

"Bang!!!"

"Damned Infinite Pirates, what is Li Yuan planning?" Steel Bone Kong exclaimed in frustration, smashing another table upon receiving the intelligence about the Infinite Pirates.

"Marshal, perhaps the Infinite Pirates aim to disrupt our plans against the Roger Pirates," Vice Admiral Tsuru calmly analyzed.

"The Roger Pirates? Are they that close with the Infinite Pirates?" Steel Bone Kong pondered in silence after hearing Tsuru's suggestion. He then contacted the Gorosei for guidance on how to proceed.

With just Sengoku as an admiral, the Navy couldn't possibly withstand the Infinite Pirates. Sengoku might handle Li Yuan, but there would be no one to stop the numerous officers of the Infinite Pirates from destroying the Navy's two strongholds in the New World.

"Send Garp and Zephyr to support Sengoku; we'll handle the Roger Pirates ourselves," the Gorosei quickly decided.

When facing the Infinite Pirates, or more specifically Li Yuan, the Gorosei were reluctant to deploy their top combat forces, as these individuals relied heavily on Devil Fruit powers. The Infinite Pirates possessed Seastone bullets, which could easily eliminate a top-tier fighter. The Gorosei didn't want to take that risk, so dispatching Garp and Zephyr, who were martial arts experts without Devil Fruit abilities, was the best choice.

"Lord Satan, the Infinite Pirates are advancing with over seventy pirate crews and a combined force of over three hundred thousand. The Navy alone can't hold them off; we need support from the Army," Steel Bone Kong stated through gritted teeth.

Despite his disdain for the Army, the sheer numbers of the Infinite Pirates made it impossible for the Navy to stand alone, even with recent expansions.

"Hmph, after allocating so much of the military budget to the Navy, you still can't fend off the Infinite Pirates? What is the Navy even for?" Lord Satan retorted angrily. "I'll have the Army support you this time, but we won't be sending our top combatants—only lower and mid-level forces. If I hear the Navy can't handle pirates again, don't expect any budget increases!"

Steel Bone Kong held his tongue, knowing the criticism was justified. The Infinite Pirates had grown incredibly fast. Five years ago, they could barely field over a hundred thousand fighters, but now they boasted over three hundred thousand—far outpacing the Navy's expansion.

"Send Garp and Zephyr to back up Sengoku. Also, dispatch Vice Admirals Sakazuki and Borsalino to give them a taste of real battle," Steel Bone Kong ordered, seething with anger once he hung up the Den Den Mushi.

"Isn't it too early to send Sakazuki and Borsalino?" Vice Admiral Tsuru hesitated. Both were prodigious graduates of the first elite training camp, rapidly rising to the rank of Vice Admiral. If not for insufficient accolades, they would have already been promoted to Admiral.

Still, sending them to face the Infinite Pirates seemed too risky, given their status as the Navy's future pillars.

"Let them get some real-world experience and witness the terror of New World pirates firsthand. How else will they become the backbone of the Navy?" Steel Bone Kong insisted.

Flying Pirates:

"Captain, should we also attack the Navy? If we team up with the Infinite Pirates, we could completely destroy the Navy's strongholds in the New World and drive them out, leaving the New World entirely to us pirates!" Reinhardt suggested excitedly.

Under the Golden Lion's guidance, his skills had improved significantly over the past two years, and he was eager for a major battle to test his progress.

"Ha ha ha, Reinhardt, you misunderstand. Even if we destroy the Navy's two strongholds, we can't drive them out completely," the Golden Lion replied, his gaze now more astute than ever. While Reinhardt handled many day-to-day affairs, the Golden Lion still personally managed some matters, sharpening his perspective and wisdom.

"If we attack, the World Government will send reinforcements to stop us, as they won't allow pirates to control territories closest to the Red Line," the Golden Lion explained, demonstrating newfound insight.

"So, Captain, we remain on standby?" Reinhardt asked.

"Ha ha ha, be patient. Our war will come soon enough. Just wait for the Roger Pirates to enter the New World!" the Golden Lion declared, setting his sights on the Roger Pirates.

He knew the Roger Pirates had been collecting Poneglyphs during their time in the Four Seas and likely held clues to the ancient weapons. When they returned to the New World, the Flying Pirates would be ready for war.

Roger Pirates:

"Captain, great news! The Infinite Pirates are going to war with the Navy!" Jaba announced gleefully, holding the latest newspaper delivered by a News Coo.

"Huh? How is that good news? It doesn't seem to concern us," Buggy questioned in confusion.

"Idiot Buggy, if the Infinite Pirates are fighting the Navy, Garp the mad dog will have to deal with them, leaving us alone. No more dodging his cannonball punches!" Shanks explained, giving Buggy a playful smack on the head.

"Oh, right! That means Garp won't have time to chase us, and we won't have to endure his bare-handed cannonballs anymore!" Buggy realized, before angrily chasing Shanks for hitting him.

"Captain, is there something going on between you and Li Yuan that we don't know about? Otherwise, why would he suddenly wage war on the Navy?" Rayleigh asked, eyeing his captain suspiciously.

With the World Government focusing all efforts on the Roger Pirates, the Infinite Pirates' attack on the Navy eased the pressure on them considerably, leading Rayleigh to suspect a secret deal between his captain and Li Yuan.

"Rayleigh, what kind of look is that? I'm Roger, a straightforward pirate. I'd never engage in anything shady!" Roger protested.

"Captain, we understand. No need to deny it. We won't tell anyone," Jaba teased, sharing a knowing smile with the others.

"Damn it, it's not what you're thinking!" Roger exclaimed in frustration.

As the Infinite Pirates gathered their forces, Li Yuan returned to the Blood Pool.

"The Seven Star Sword's seven blood grooves are full, and its power has peaked. Absorbing more blood to grow stronger isn't possible," Li Yuan noted, manipulating the blood in the pool to flow into the Seven Star Sword and then into his body. 

This process allowed the sword to filter the blood before he absorbed it, offering a secondary refinement.

After absorbing the essence from the blood pool, it decreased by about one percent in volume. Despite his vampire powers, Li Yuan was selective about the blood he absorbed, seeking only its essence.

"Though I can't absorb all this blood now, I can temporarily store it within me," Li Yuan decided, leaving the pool after absorbing the blood's essence.

He could use his powers to store the blood temporarily, similar to consuming large amounts of food and using Life Return to store the energy for later use.

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